


One Too Many, One Too Few

by the_fox333



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, F/F, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2018-12-06 15:37:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11603622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_fox333/pseuds/the_fox333
Summary: When a dare from Amethyst jeopardizes Peridot's relationship with Lapis, nobody knows what to do.





	1. One Wrong Move (And It's Over)

**Author's Note:**

> I plan to force out the next few chapters soon. The chapter limit may fluctuate up or down, depending on how fast or slow I get through the plot.
> 
> Thanks to The_Bisexy_Whovian_Werewolf for beta reading :)

“Okay, uh… Sapphire. Truth or dare?” Amethyst asked.

Sapphire considered. “Truth.”

Amethyst thought for a second, then grinned. “What’s the dirtiest thing you’ve ever done with Ruby?”

The girl in question blushed furiously. “H-hey!” she exclaimed. “This involves me, and I say don’t tell them!” Sapphire shrugged nonchalantly.

“Fine, fine,” Amethyst conceded. “Peri, you wanna help me? I got nothing.”

Peridot frowned. “Um, when was the last time you kissed Ruby?” she asked, ignoring Amethyst’s mouthed _lame_.

Sapphire smiled and wrapped her arms around Ruby, pulling her halfway off her folding chair and bringing their lips together. She held it for a few seconds before Ruby pulled away, bursting into laughter. “Just now,” Sapphire said coolly.

“A dare from a truth. How’s that for lame, Amethyst?” Peridot raised her eyebrows. Amethyst rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide her smile. “Sapphire, who’s up?”

“Peridot,” Sapphire began, “truth or dare?”

“Oh. Um— truth, I guess.”

“In our D&D campaign, what’s the Lich Lord Xyzax’s secret weakness?”

Ruby and Amethyst burst into uproarious laughter as Peridot threw her hands up with an indignant expression. “I can’t tell you that!” she half-yelled. “There’s an entire arc where you go on a quest to find out! That’s two whole levels right there! Give me another one.”

“Okay, geez,” Amethyst snickered. “You want to take it, Sapph, or should I cover? I have a good one.” Sapphire simply pointed to her, and she rubbed her hands together with an evil grin. “Sooo, Peri,” she drawled. “How far have you gone with Lapis, if you catch my drift?”

Peridot dropped her head into her hands. “I don’t know why I even do this,” she muttered. “I have never gone beyond PG-13 territory, if you must know.”

Amethyst frowned. “That’s pretty non-specific, Peri. I need details. Have shirts come off?”

“Now Amethyst, we’re not trying to make her uncomfortable,” Sapphire chided. “She gave you an answer, and now you have to deal with it.”

“Ugh, whatever,” Amethyst shrugged. “Who’s up, Peri?”

“You, for your audacity,” Peridot glared. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Amethyst said without hesitation. “Hit me with everything you got.”

“I dare you to— ah—“ Peridot realized she had nothing in mind. Nothing sexual; she was going to be the bigger person. Nothing that broke any laws; she had a moral code. Nothing that might get Amethyst hurt; that just wasn’t cool. That ruled out most dares she had ever heard of. Maybe she needed to rethink something. “I dare you to drink a gallon— no, half a gallon of milk.”

“That’s all?” Amethyst seemed almost disappointed. “Hey, let’s go set a milk-drinking speed record!”

Ruby glanced down at her phone and cursed. “Sapphire, Mom’s gonna kill us if we stay out much longer. Sorry, guys,” she shook her head. “Some other time.” Sapphire took her hand, and they walked out of the room, ignoring Amethyst's exasperated groan.

"No fair," Peridot grumbled. "We can't play Truth or Dare with only two people."

"Can't we?" Amethyst raised an eyebrow. "Truth or dare, Peri?"

"Hey, you have to do your dare first," Peridot shook her head.

"That was last game," Amethyst said quickly, "and besides, it doesn't really go well with what I have in mind. Truth or dare?"

"Weak," Peridot chastised. "Dare, Ms. 'Hit Me With Everything You Got'."

"Okay, I will," Amethyst smiled— was that nervously? Closing her eyes for a moment, she glanced off to the side of the room. "Idareyoutokissme."

"S-sorry, _what_?" Peridot blinked.

"I said," Amethyst glared, clearly not happy to have to say it again, "I dare you— to kiss me."

“I— I—“ There was nobody else there; the only possible benefit Amethyst would gain was personal. Either she wanted to win a bet, or she wanted some sort of bragging rights, or— or she actually liked Peridot. Somehow, the last seemed the least likely. Surely Peridot's luck with love had been totally spent when Lapis, her impossible crush, asked her out. There was no way her best friend slash lifelong love interest felt that way about her. But it was just a dare, and even if she did it, she could pass it off as mere compliance with the rules. Nothing to lose, and so, so much to gain. "Fine."

"So, um, how do you want to do this?" Amethyst asked, trying and only partially succeeding to hide her smile. Peridot smirked. For once, she had the upper hand. Sliding an arm around Amethyst, she brought the other behind her head, tilting her own slightly and pressing their lips gently together. Amethyst's eyes widened, then slowly closed, Peridot's following suit.

It was like everything she had imagined. Amethyst's lips were wonderfully full, and Peridot tasted a hint of bubblegum from her lipstick. Amethyst moved her own hands to mirror Peridot's, the latter tensing from the feeling before sinking into her touch. Amethyst tentatively opened her mouth, and Peridot's lips curled into a smile as she did likewise.

"Hey Peri, you wanna head out?" came Lapis's voice from outside. Amethyst and Peridot's eyes shot open, but that was all the reaction time they got before the door was pushed open. "This party's getting kinda—“ There was a moment of dead silence as Amethyst and Peridot pulled away from each other as quickly as possible. "Quick question," Lapis finally said, her voice eerily calm. "WHAT THE **FUCKING FUCK**."

"I swear I can explain!" Peridot yelped. She was panicking, already seeing her perfect romance collapsing before her eyes. "It was— we were playing—“

"Those are the words of a guilty woman, Peridot Facet!" Lapis yelled. "Don't you fucking try to bullshit me! I know what I saw, and all I have to say is that if I'm not enough—“ She paused to catch her breath, and Peridot could swear she saw tears glistening in her eyes. "If I'm not enough, fucking _tell me_ , bitch!" The door slammed, and Peridot could distinctly hear sobbing fading down the hall.

The two stood there in silence, staring open-mouthed at the door. "Oh my god," Amethyst breathed quietly. “I— oh shit, what— Peri, I’m—“

"Shut the fuck up!" Peridot exploded. “I— just— this is your fault!" Instantly she was hit with regret, but she forced it down, trying unsuccessfully to do the same with her tears. "It was your stupid bullshit dare that just lost me my girlfriend!" Feeling her legs wobble, she slumped back into a chair. "Just— don't talk to me. Leave me alone!" she choked out. Hands over her face, she curled into a ball, dissolving into uncontrollable tears. After a moment, she heard the door open, then slam shut. She didn't move for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't build it better without burning it down first~ ;)


	2. Rest, Recuperate, Repeat

Peridot woke up the next morning with fuzzy memories of Bismuth's dad driving her home, but painfully clear ones of everything before that. For at least half an hour, she lay motionless in her bed, unable to accept any of it. Lapis... Lapis was gone. They as an item were done. And Amethyst— would Amethyst forgive her for yelling at her? She didn't want to acknowledge it, but it wasn't Amethyst's fault, it was hers. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a bad dream. It had to be.

Finally, she couldn't stand it. Rolling over, she snatched her phone off the windowsill and scrolled through her notifications. Instantly her heart dropped through the floor. Half of them were messages from her friends, asking if she had really broken up with Lapis. The other half were from friends she knew mostly through Lapis and Amethyst, their contents... less than friendly. Peridot felt like crying as she glanced over the truncated messages.

“fuck u too”  
“wow i thought you were ame's friend lmao"  
"Have fun never hanging out again"  
“?????!!! I thought u loved her bitch”

Tears staining her pillowcase, Peridot slammed her phone back onto the sill, hardly caring if it cracked. Something as trivial as a screen didn’t matter when her whole life had just shattered. Finally letting herself go, she screamed into her pillow, her agonized cry devolving into muffled sobs.

When her tears finally petered out, Peridot rolled out of bed, narrowly catching herself before she hit the floor. Throwing on a too-big white shirt and a pair of cargo shorts, she stuffed her phone in a pocket and stalked down the stairs. She glanced at the calendar; Sunday. Good. Her mom had gone out, leaving a note to explain her absence. Peridot crumpled it up without even reading it and tossed it at the trash can, not caring when it fell short. Grabbing a box of Pop Tarts, she tore open a package and took a violent bite out of one. A vibration in her pocket startled her, and she pulled out her phone to find a text notification from Amethyst.

> Are you okay?

Peridot sighed and set her phone on the table, gulping down the rest of the Pop Tart and pushing her hair back. So Amethyst at least still cared about her. "Well, time to make the best of this nightmare," she chuckled darkly. Unlocking her phone, she tapped the notification and waited while the app loaded.

* i’m sorry  
> Peri? Where were you? I've been texting you for like an hour  
* sorry i slept in  
> Yeah I would too if that happened to me  
> How are you taking it?  
* how else do you take losing your perfect gf  
> So not well  
* what the hell did you think  
> Peri, I'm sorry  
* no i'm sorry for yelling at you  
* it wasn't your fault, it was mine  
> I gave you the dare  
* i took it  
> Can I call you?  
* i guess

Peridot waited for her phone to start buzzing, quickly tapping the Accept Call button. "Hey," she croaked, her voice still hoarse from crying.

"Hi Peri," Amethyst responded, sounding far more morose than she ever had before. "Listen, I'm sorry about the dare. It was stupid, and I never should have done it, and now—“ There was a short silence. "You and Lapis were perfect for each other, and I ruined that. It's okay if you hate me. I'd hate me, too, if I was in your shoes.”

"No, no, not true," Peridot cleared her throat. "It's not your fault. This was a blameless crime. I'm just as complicit as you." Without much more to say, a thought occurred to her. "But why did you give me that dare? There was nobody else there. The only benefit you—“

"Yeah yeah, had to be for personal gain. I've been beating myself up about that since I said it," Amethyst sighed. "Look, Peri, the truth— god, this would be easier over texting. The truth is, that I, uhhhh..." Her voice got suddenly quieter. "Like you. I like you a lot."

"More than... as a friend," Peridot asked without asking. "Romantically. You have a crush on me."

"Yep," Amethyst answered with a shaky laugh. "Sure do. Biggest crush of my life, and it's on my best friend. Funny how things work, huh?"

Peridot was almost at a loss for words. “You… you like me. I— wow, Amethyst. I never knew you felt that way about me.” A mixture of happiness and excitement began to bubble up in her, one she hadn’t felt since Lapis had told her the same thing. Sure, she had just lost her girlfriend, but she supposed that didn’t necessarily mean her life was over. Amethyst still liked her, and in a much deeper way than she had ever allowed herself to imagine. Maybe… maybe she could build something new.

Amethyst coughed. “Sorry for making this awkward. It’s okay if you don’t like me back. I just needed to get that off my chest.” With a start, Peridot realized she hadn't actually confessed back. “...Peri? Are you still there?”

“Yes,” Peridot exclaimed. “Amethyst, I like you too. I like you a lot, and I really want to be… your girlfriend.” She felt a rush of adrenaline, chased by the fleeting fear that Amethyst would for some reason change her mind or be scared away.

“Peri…” Amethyst gasped quietly. “Holy shit.” Peridot heard Amethyst suppress a laugh, the resulting giggle like music to her ears. “Oh my god, Peri! Oh my god! Holy shit!” She burst into full-fledged laughter, and Peridot beamed, breaking into laughs of her own. “Peri, I can’t believe this! Do you know how long I’ve liked you for?”

“Bet you can’t beat eight years,” Peridot teased.

“You got it!” Amethyst shouted. “Holy shit, you too? This is the best day of my life!” She whooped, and Peridot chuckled. Memories of her confession to Lapis were trickling back, and she was focusing mostly on trying to keep them suppressed long enough to celebrate.

Amethyst was beginning to come down off her elation, still letting out an occasional snicker. “Holy fuck, Peri, I can’t believe this. I really can’t.” Noticing Peridot’s silence, her tone grew concerned. “Peri, are you okay? Is this a bad time?”

“Not r— well, kinda,” Peridot admitted. “It’s…” If she was going to go out with Amethyst, they had to be open with each other. “I’m still thinking about Lapis. Not comparing the two of you or anything, just…” She sniffed, hastily wiping her eyes when she realized they were wet again. “I really thought that it was going to work. I loved her, I really did.”

“Yeah,” Amethyst said softly. “I could tell, we all could. I’m really sorry she didn’t care about you the same way you did about her.”

“But I really felt like she did,” Peridot shook her head. “I thought we had something— stars, I sound so cliché. But it’s true. I thought there was a connection, I thought we loved each other, but…” She took a deep breath. “I guess I was wrong about that, huh?”

“If she was willing to end your relationship over a misunderstanding, maybe it’s good that you’re not together anymore,” Amethyst advised. “Just my two cents.”

Peridot nodded, half-convinced. “Maybe you’re right,” she mused. “But that doesn’t make it any easier.”

“I get it,” Amethyst agreed. “Even when I broke up with Morgan, it took a while to get over the scumbag. Not to say Lapis is a scumbag, just—“

“I get it,” Peridot assured her. “Thanks for being so understanding. I think I might just hang around my house today.”

Amethyst gave a small _mm-hm_. “Downtime is good. Is it okay if I, um, swing by, or…?”

Peridot considered briefly. “I’d like the day to myself, if that’s okay,” she decided. “Call me if you want, but I really just want to be alone for a while.”

“Gotcha,” said Amethyst. “Well, see ya later, Peri!” The call ended, and Peridot set her phone on the table with a sigh. She liked talking to Amethyst, and this conversation had mostly been a wildly good ride, but she was still drained from everything that had happened. She wasn’t lying when she said it wasn’t going to be easy to get over Lapis; already she felt like she wanted to cry again. Her brain kept dredging up good memories; their first date at the café, the time they went stargazing, the weekend at the beach with Lapis’s family, the countless kisses snuck in the halls between classes. Peridot didn’t want to believe she had been nothing more to Lapis than another disposable date, but why else would Lapis run off without giving her a chance to explain herself? She really had seemed upset, though. Could that have been a ruse to make Peridot apologize? But if she thought that little of Peridot, why even lure her back? Nothing made sense, and Peridot hated when things didn’t make sense.

For the rest of the day, Peridot lay low, losing herself in video games and avoiding music that reminded her of Lapis. When Civilization got boring, she moved on to Portal; when she beat that, she scrolled through Tumblr for half an hour before hopping off her chair to grab a snack and stretch her legs. Sorting through old boxes of papers to kill more time lead her to a middle school notebook with “I <3 Amethyst” and “Mrs. Peridot Quartz” scribbled in the margins. Smiling, she tapped the cover a few times. “You’ll never believe it, Past Peri,” she grinned, “but we just hit the jackpot.”

Evening rolled around, and Peridot was jolted out of her The Legend of Zelda playthrough by the opening of Blue Swede’s _Hooked On A Feeling_. Pulling out her phone and tapping Accept Call, Peridot pressed it to her ear. “Hi, Amethyst,” she smiled, flopping back on her bed. “How’s your day going?”

“Great,” Amethyst said. “Um, I was just wondering— am I interrupting anything? I can call back if I need to.”

“Nah,” Peridot waved her off. “What is it?”

“Are there, um, any days that work for you? For going on a date?” Amethyst asked shyly.

“Oh! Well, ummm…” Peridot thought for a second. “How’s Wednesday sound?”

“Okay,” Amethyst said, sounding slightly disappointed. “Wednesday it is. Anywhere you want to go?”

_The café,_ Peridot wanted to say, but she knew she’d be reminded too much of Lapis. In the eleven months of their relationship, there weren’t many places she and Lapis hadn’t gone together, but there were at least a few where the association was loose enough as to be escapable. “How about a movie? I can check what’s showing.”

“That sounds good! I’ll take a look at the schedule,” Amethyst offered. “We can work out times and stuff later. See ya ‘round!” Amethyst hung up, and Peridot smiled to herself, picking the controller back up. As long as she treaded lightly, she could do this. In a few months when school started back up, Lapis would have moved on, and with luck she would have too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, an update within a week of posting! This is truly magical. If I can keep this up, I might actually finish a story for once!


	3. Refuge

Standing in front of her mirror, Peridot smiled. From her comfortable shoes decorated with green lace flowers to her mostly-not-disastrous hair, she looked stunning, if she did say so herself. Running her hands down her sides, she posed and blew a kiss to her reflection. Lifting a slender tube off her dresser, she popped the cap off and applied the finishing touch: her "comfort lipstick", a lovely shade of emerald green. Self-care meant dressing for yourself, and Peridot was a sucker for lipstick.

Picking up her handbag, Peridot gave a quick twirl, grinning as her skirt flared out. Today was a feel-good day. Between the cloudless weather and the intention of her outing, Peridot felt on top of the world. Nothing could drag her down, not even thoughts of— she placed a hand daintily over her mouth and fluttered her eyelashes. _Not today,_ she reprimanded herself. _No need to bring_ her _up._

Her phone began to buzz, and Peridot snatched it up, tapping Accept without a second thought. "Helloooo~" she sang, channeling all her self-satisfaction into the greeting.

"So tell me something," a toneless voice said from the other end of the line. Peridot, poised on one foot, nearly lost her balance. Her pulse jumped as she recognized the speaker.

"L-Lapis?"

"Why?" Lapis continued simply. "Why'd you do it, Peri? Is Amethyst prettier than me? Were you tired of us being us? Did I do something wrong? I want answers." Her words got progressively faster until she was snapping the last sentence. "Well, Facet? Got anything to say for yourself?"

"Lapis..." Peridot could feel herself choking up. “I’m— Lapis, I'm sorry for wh-what I did, it was an accident— I mean, you saw it wrong— I can explain..." A feeling of hopelessness washed over her, and a sob escaped her throat. “I’m sorry,” she whispered shakily.

“Peri, don’t—“ Lapis stopped and took a breath. “Okay. Could you explain, then?” Her words were still neutral, but there was a new softness to her tone. Peridot sniffed and wiped her eyes. At least Lapis was still treating her like a human being. “…Or is this a bad time?”

“N-not now,” Peridot shook her head. She could barely talk, much less explain the situation she had been in. “Tomorrow?”

“Okay,” Lapis agreed. Seeming to realize her slip, she hardened her tone once again. “I’ll still want answers, and you’d better have them.” After a pause, she added, “Bye,” before the call was terminated.

Peridot slumped against the wall. It had gone better than she had hoped, but the call had still put a serious damper on her mood. But a commitment was a commitment, and now that she had Amethyst she wasn’t going to lose her, too.

* * *

Peridot saw the change in Amethyst’s expression the second she stepped off the bus. Amethyst lit up, but frowned after a second. “Hey, Peri,” she called hesitantly. Coming closer, she extended a hand, and Peridot took it gratefully. “Have you been— crying?” Peridot looked off to the side and nodded once. Her eyes were still red, and there was probably some ruined mascara she hadn’t removed. Peridot was something of an amateur when it came to makeup.

"Oh, Peri," Amethyst breathed. “I’m— gosh, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do? What happened?" She took Peridot's hands in hers, squeezing them briefly.

"It's fine," Peridot reassured her. "I'm fine now. It was just—“ She hesitated; she didn't want to worry Amethyst, but she knew honesty was key. "Lapis called. She wanted to know why— that night at the party. You know. But I resolved it," she added hastily.

"So, did you explain it to her?" Amethyst asked. Peridot didn't profess to be any good at reading faces, but she could swear there was fear or something like it in Amethyst's expression. "What did she say?"

"Well, I was— crying, obviously, and I put it off until tomorrow." Amethyst sighed in an almost relieved manner, and Peridot realized what she was so nervous about. "Amethyst..." The other girl cocked her head. "Whatever happens with Lapis, I'm not leaving you. I... care too much about you for that."

Without a word, Amethyst pulled Peridot into a hug, waiting several seconds before pulling away. "Thanks, Peri," she smiled, her eyes glistening. "That means a hell of a lot to me. Thank you." Putting her hands on Peridot's shoulders, she pulled her in close, hesitating as their faces approached. It was Peridot who pressed her lips to Amethyst's, sending a tingly jolt down her spine and drawing a sigh from both of them. For a moment, the forgot that they were standing under the awning of a public building, until a passing mother's sharp cough snapped them out of their trance. Amethyst touched her lips and stared as if transfixed at the green lipstick stain they left. "Wow," was all she said.

"So, umm... what movie are we watching?" Peridot asked. Out of the new movies that had debuted recently, she was pretty sure she knew which one Amethyst had picked— Code Red 3: Mission Critical was practically made for her.

Amethyst looked up sharply and frowned in consideration for a second. "Let's not," she announced. "As good as I've heard Code Red 3 is, do we really need to do this whole 'first date' thing? We've known each other since we were four, and anyway, you're a little too distracted for a movie. Whaddaya say we just head back to my place and— I dunno, hang out. Whatever couples do at home." Her cheeks colored. "Other than, you know..." Amethyst trailed off, but Peridot blushed as she picked up on the implication. "So? How about it?"

Peridot thought about it. She had been looking forward to the date, but when it came right down to it, that was because she would be spending time with Amethyst, not because of the movie. "I think that would be nice," she said slowly. "But we're watching Camp Pining Hearts." Amethyst rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her feelings.

Hand in hand, the two walked back out to the parking lot. Amethyst pulled open the passenger door of her mom's blue minivan and gestured exaggeratedly. "After you, milady," she droned in a low voice, making Peridot giggle as she climbed in and snapped her seatbelt across.

Amethyst seated herself in the driver's seat and turned the car on, quickly muting the too-loud radio. "You didn't buy the tickets yet, right?" Peridot asked as Amethyst turned the car out onto the road.

"Shit," Amethyst cursed. After a second, both girls burst into laughter. "You think I can get a refund?"

"Who cares?" Peridot shrugged. "What's money, really?"

"Oh, do I have a song for you," Amethyst smirked. Peridot groaned as she held down the home button on her phone. "Hey Siri, play 'The Money Song' by Monty Python." Amethyst could barely contain her guffaws when Peridot threw up her hands, making as if to unbuckle herself and open the door. Eventually, she was signing along, trying not to laugh at Amethyst's warbly operatic accompaniment. In that moment, she forgot what she had been worried about, thinking only of how lucky she was to have a girlfriend as great as Amethyst.


	4. Three's A Crowd

It had been a long afternoon flowing into a long evening at Amethyst's, and between Camp Pining Hearts, Mario Kart, and a few bad sci-fi movies, Peridot had thoroughly tired herself out. After a light-hearted lecture from Mrs. Quartz about how there would be "no fooling around in my house", Peridot ended up spending the night, which consisted mostly of more Mario Kart and some sleepy cuddling. When the two finally woke the next morning, it was to a phone call.

Peridot was startled by the harsh buzz of vibration against wood. "Ughhh," she groaned, glancing over to see Amethyst sitting up from her sleeping bag in a similar state of disgruntlement.

"Who's that, Peri?" Amethyst asked, looking around for the offending device. Peridot took one glance at the phone's screen, face-up on the floor a few feet from her, and any sleepiness she may have had was instantly dispelled.

"I can't do this," Peridot snarled, flopping back down with an arm over her eyes. "Let it go to voicemail," she directed Amethyst. "Not now."

"Lapis, yeah?" Amethyst asked, her tone somber. When Peridot nodded, she winced in sympathy. "Hey, it's okay. How about this: we can call her together."

"I can't do that," Peridot groaned. "It's between her and me." Beside her, the ringer cut off mid-buzz. "I can't drag you into this."

"I don't mind, Peri, for real," Amethyst shook her head, kneeling next to her girlfriend. "If you think it would help you, I'm game."

"That's really nice of you," sighed Peridot, "but I need to do this alone." Heaving herself into a sitting position, she picked up the phone and was about to unlock it when it buzzed again in her hand. "How kind of her," Peridot rolled her eyes, pressing the Answer button.

"You owe me an explanation," Lapis said, her voice hard. "Now." Amethyst cupped a hand to her ear, but Peridot shook her head. "Well? How do you want to _justify_ what happened?"

"Okay," Peridot took a breath. "We were— we were playing Truth or Dare with Ruby and Sapphire, and when they left, Amethyst dared me to—“ Peridot stopped; she didn't want to pin the blame on Amethyst. But it was true, and too much hesitation would make Lapis think she was making it up. "Amethyst dared me to kiss her."

"And you did it?" Peridot couldn't see Lapis's face, but she could envision the frown. "You always have the right to turn down a dare. You did it, and pretty damn passionately. Why."

And there it was: the question Peridot had been anticipating, dreading, but still had no answer for. No matter her response, it would sound like she didn't like Lapis, or at least that she liked Amethyst more. She didn't want to push herself into that corner unless she absolutely had to, because— well, it was complicated. “I—“ Peridot closed her eyes to center herself. "It's because... I like her. The— the same way I like you." Silence. "I've liked her since— for a long time. And that doesn't mean I don't like you," she insisted hurriedly, "or that I'd choose her over you."

"Good job demonstrating that," Lapis interjected sarcastically.

"B-but the point is, I—“ Peridot threw a glance over to Amethyst, who was sitting cross-legged with a concerned look on her face. "I think I... love you both. Equally." There was another moment of silence, but before Peridot could clarify Lapis spoke.

"Amethyst is there, right? Speakerphone me." Peridot frowned but tapped the button. "Come to the library this afternoon," she instructed without preface. "Both of you. I'll be there from noon to six." After a moment's hesitation, she added, "So you'd better not leave me hanging."

"Why?" Amethyst asked, but Lapis had already hung up. "Do you know what that's all about, Peri?"

"I'm not sure," Peridot shook her head. It was true; Peridot had no idea what Lapis was planning. Her heart was racing again, and without closure on her status with Lapis, she was afraid it wasn't going to stop until they met up. At least Amethyst wasn’t freaking out over her proclamation of equal amorous opportunity. "Oh yeah, when are we going?"

"Uh, are you sure you want to?" Amethyst seemed concerned, and Peridot thought for a second.

"Yes."

* * *

The public library, Peridot observed reluctantly, was a much more enjoyable destination when it didn't mean the probable end to a relationship— and friendship— that she'd worked for years to build. She fidgeted nervously with the stress ball in her sweatshirt pocket. The sweatshirt was technically Amethyst's, but if it made her feel better, Amethyst had told her, she could consider it on indefinite loan. Peridot was certainly glad Amethyst had something she could fiddle with; there was no stress relief like crushing a ball over and over.

"Okay, Peri berry," Amethyst announced, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We can do this." Peridot realized with a start that they had already arrived, and her breathing skipped a beat and hastened. "Hey, hey, it's gonna be fine," Amethyst held up a hand in reassurance. "We're in this together, yeah?" She smiled at Peridot's nod and unlocked the car doors. "Now let's go resolve some interpersonal misunderstandings!" Peridot noticed as they walked hand in hand to the library doors that Amethyst's pulse was quicker than normal.

"We can be nervous together," Peridot muttered, and Amethyst grinned weakly and squeezed her hand. The doors slid open, and they stepped through into the moderate majesty of the small-town library.

Lapis was upon them almost immediately, popping out from behind a corner and nearly scaring Peridot to death. "Thank god," she sighed. "I was getting tired of waiting." Peridot didn't even have time to ask if she had really been hiding there for almost two hours when she was off again, gesturing for them to follow her up the stairs. Peridot and Amethyst trailed behind without comment, watching as Lapis strode confidently ahead of them towards the quiet reading area.

“Take a chair,” she offered with no intention of being turned down. Peridot and Amethyst pulled out adjacent chairs at one of the deserted round tables overlooking the street. Lapis placed herself across from them, not making eye contact. Peridot glanced at Amethyst, who shrugged almost imperceptibly. Nobody spoke.

It was Lapis who was the first to clear her throat. “Peridot,” she nodded. “Amethyst.” The two girls slowly nodded back. Under the table, Amethyst squeezed Peridot’s hand. Peridot returned it. “I have… some explaining to do.”

 

Lapis had rehearsed this speech at least a dozen times, and yet the first line still made her wince delivering it in person. What explaining did _she_ have to do? Peridot— no. She had tried to let go of the initial hurt Peridot had given her— she would almost certainly have done the same thing— but impressions like that were hard to ditch. And even without that, what did she really have to explain? Why she had invited them to the library? Maybe. But now wasn’t the time for second-guessing. That should have been two hours ago, but _c’etait la vie,_ she supposed. On with the delivery.

“First of all, Peridot.” Stop second-guessing yourself you rehearsed this so many times you could say it backwards. “I—“ The words caught in her throat, and she struggled quickly to get on with it. “I’m sorry. For freaking out, for being so hard on you over the phone. For thinking you would do _that_ to me. You’re not like that at all, and I assumed the worst with no b-basis in fact.” Careful, Lazuli. Don’t trip over your words. Delicate operation. “I hope you’ll forgive me.” Pause again, intentionally this time. Let her soak that in. Waaaait, aaaand, next. Surgical, no room for error what are you doing talk already!!! “So anyway, the explaining. I did bring you two here without preface or reason.” Doing well, doing well. Here comes the tricky part. “Peridot, that confession took a lot of courage, you know that.” Ugh, should have reworked that line. It sounds stupid, saying it aloud to real people. “So I hope you can understand why I— haven’t yet.” Come ON! There were definitely more words in that sentence! Too late now. Don’t go back or you’ll fall apart.

“The truth is…” Lapis paused again, unintentionally once more. “I know how you feel, Peridot. I’ve been in a similar situation for a while.” Lapis snuck a glance up from the table and saw two faces suspended somewhere between surprise and disbelief. Her eyes dropped again quickly. “And wouldn’t you know it— it has to do with the same people. Funny how things work out, huh.” That last bit hadn’t been in her script, but it was all Lapis could do to stay focused, much less faithful to her practice. Dry runs never measured up to the real thing, but she hadn’t expected the disconnect to be this big.

“So now that we’ve made that clear,” Lapis continued quickly, lifting her head slightly as she skipped about a paragraph of her prepared speech, “I have a bit of a proposition, I suppose.” This train was rapidly losing its rails, but Lapis was catching a wave that she was reasonably sure she could ride to the conversation’s conclusion, where hopefully she could leave all her mixed-metaphorical transportation behind. “There’s no easy way to say this for any of us. And maybe it won’t work out.” _Probably,_ part of her wanted to say. “But…”

Amethyst cut in before she could continue. “I have a guess.” She squeezed Peridot’s hand one last time, under the table where she seemed to think Lapis couldn’t tell. “You’re going to ask if we want to be girlfriends. All of us, together. Polyamorously.” Peridot’s expression remained flushed and open-mouthed, and Lapis struggled to avoid adopting one similar. Amethyst was, of course, spot-on. But that didn’t mean she was saying yes.

“Well, ah, yeah, pretty much,” she admitted. “I don’t want to make anyone feel like they have to do this. It should be voluntary on all sides.”

“Well,” Amethyst smiled, which looked funny with the pronounced blush darkening most of her face, “let me be the first to say yes.”

The battle to keep Lapis’s expression neutral was a lost one. “You— _what_??” Peridot stammered, mirroring Lapis’s thoughts exactly.

“I can’t say I haven’t felt similarly,” Amethyst shrugged, still grin-blushing. “I mean, obviously Peridot’s cute as hell. And Lapis… Can I be the second to say how goddamn pretty you are?” Lapis felt a familiar tingling heat coursing through her. “We actually have some pretty similar interests, in case you missed it. And anyone who can make Peridot as happy as you have is a great person in my book. That’s not all, of course, but…” She trailed off, hand moving to rest behind her head. Lapis and Peridot nodded nearly in sync, laughed, and cut off, looking away shyly.

“Feelings are hard,” Peridot mumbled. Lapis chuckled in affirmation.

“I think we need to spend a little less time being all embarrassed and whatnot,” Amethyst pointed out. “That way, we can spend a little more time realizing that we all just agreed to Lapis’s ‘proposition’.” Her victorious grin froze for a moment. “Wait, shit,” she muttered. “Peri, do you want to do this? I mean, are you okay with it? I didn’t mean to jump to—“

“Yes,” Peridot blurted as quickly as she could. “Yes please.”

“Well,” Lapis giggled, “I guess that settles it, huh?”

“Hellllll yeah, baby,” Amethyst beamed and flashed a thumbs-up. Peridot wrapped her arms around Amethyst’s waist. On a whim, Lapis hopped up from her chair and nearly fell over moving to beside them. Amethyst reeled back as Lapis cupped a rough hand behind her head.

“I have been waiting to do this for more years than I like to admit,” she said, and kissed her.

* * *

“So, who’s driving home?” Amethyst asked. Peridot had an arm around each of her girlfriends’ waists and was walking happily, though awkwardly, down the stairs. Her heart was still lost in the clouds, despite 15 minutes (that felt like an hour) of laughter and kisses. _Lots_ of kisses.

“I didn’t bring my car, so I guess it’s you,” Lapis said. Leaning down, she kissed Peridot on the forehead. Peridot giggled, reminded once again of the countless hours they had spent together.

“Coolio,” Amethyst nodded, tilting her head to receive a quick smooch from Lapis. “Hey, does excessive happiness count as OUI? I’m not a junior operator anymore, but the laws are still pretty strict.” All three of them laughed. Lapis held the door open, and they followed out to the parking lot.

“I’m glad we did this,” Peridot hummed.

“Maybe someday, we’ll look back on all this and laugh,” Lapis mused.

“Yeah, well that day better be our wedding, because anytime before then is too soon for me,” Amethyst quipped as she opened the passenger side door and waved an arm. “Now get in, losers, we’re going shopping.” Peridot nearly doubled over with laughter. The worst days of her life had transformed in an instant into the best. She had thought she was happy before, with Lapis and briefly with Amethyst, but this topped all that by miles. It was going to be a good— units of time didn’t really matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At loooooooong last!! Gosh, I put this off so unreasonably long, but the end result... hoo hoo hoo, am I satisfied! If you have any feedback, I always love to hear it! :3c


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